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31 Dec 2017

I spoke about the orange-cap Make P:rem Capsule Sun Gel previously, now I am gonna focus on its blue-cap counterpart – the Make P:rem Blue Ray Sun Gel!

The reason why I bought this was to find a sunscreen that will work well for my overly bright office lightning. It always feel hot on my skin and I want to get something that will shield it from that infrared ray. Make P:rem claims that this can counteract the damage caused by hot infrared rays by bringing down your skin temperature by multiple degrees. I am not sure how they do it, nor do I experience any “perceivable” cooling effect when using this. One thing I do notice is that my skin is less prone to sweat and sebum when I am walking under the sun – with this on. I guess that means it is doing something for my skin, however unperceivable it is.

30 Dec 2017

Actually this review should come earlier. I have already been using and loving this since May this year, but hadn't been talking about it until now. Those who follow my blog should have heard of Blithe. I raved about its Chaga Tundra Pressed Serum. Although I am less impressed by the Velvet Yam Pressed Serum and the Vital Treatment 5 Energy Roots Essence, but my love towards Blithe remains unchanged. It is a good brand that deserves more attention. So today I'm gonna bring your attention to another product from Blithe that again, many have raved about, that I think you would be interested in trying!

I bought this during Sephora Member Day sales early this year. I never thought of buying it at first because I am not exactly sure what can it do for my skin. I have many other chemical exfoliants that I don't think this in-shower, quick-remedy thing will work. It just so happened that I received two splash mask samples from my last Blithe haul that I got to try it out for myself. It was a love at first sight. I can see my skin looking clearer, brighter and fresher from that one treatment. Next day, I quickly went to Sephora (and it happened to be Sephora Member Sales, how lucky am I?) and got myself the Green Tea flavour.

I'm not sure what my feeling truly is towards sunscreen. I don't like to wear sunscreen (and makeup, too). I don't like having that extra layer of "something" on my face. But I have this urge of trying out new sunscreen whenever they are launched. I'm not sure why. Maybe I am still trying to find my perfect sunscreen - a sunscreen that doesn't feel like sunscreen at all.

I bought the Innisfree Extreme UV Protection Gel Lotion 60 Water Base from Innisfree Malaysia several months ago. It was not cheap at RM 69, if compared to local brands. Now Innisfree upgraded its packaging again so this sunscreen looks a little difference than it was but the content was similar. It was launched during the summer time so I guess the "60" in its label was trying to imply that this has an SPF of 60. Now lets take a look at this Innisfree sunscreen!

27 Dec 2017

I just finished my last drop of this ultra gentle, non-foaming, low pH cleanser from Acwell this morning! That was quick because I alternated between 3 cleansers and I still managed to finish this within 3.5 months! That actually reminded me how fast I can go through non-foaming cleanser like these, even though its content (150ml) is the same as other foaming cleanser.

Acwell Bubble-Free pH Balancing Cleanser is not new to many of us. Many vloggers and bloggers have talked and raved about it, so I didn't want to go into too many details about it. I am pretty sure you can find those elsewhere.

I got my Acwell Bubble-Free pH Balancing Cleanser from Althea about 6 months ago when they first launched Acwell. This product was a gift for the purchase of any Acwell products so I just couldn't miss that opportunity. I grabbed the Acwell cream and some other products and received this cleanser for free. Currently it is selling at RM 80+ at Althea.

26 Dec 2017

Cica is getting more and more popular now. Many brands are coming up with their own cica products. Initially I was not attracted to cica because I don't really have acne concern. But ever since I shifted job and slept an hour less everyday, I am prone to getting breakouts especially on both side of my cheek. They show up as closed comedones that will not go away no matter how hard I try. Eventually I had to convince myself to finally commit into an acne-calming treatment, which is how I found this Innisfree Cica Intensive Balm.

I bought the Innisfree Cica Intensive Balm when I just got off from Cosrx and wanted to try something different. Make P:rem hasn't come out with a cica cream yet and I was not attracted to tea tree, bija, and other acne-calming treatment. Cica sounds interesting and gentle enough, so I decided to give it a try!

Let's read on to find out more about my experience using Innisfree Cica Intensive Balm for close to 6 months below!

24 Dec 2017

In this review, I'm gonna put together different sheet masks I used in October and November 2017 and links to their individual reviews on my blog. I will also put up a simple summary on each of them to give you a better idea of what to drop into your shopping cart next time:-

18 Dec 2017

I was sent several Loveisderma products for review a few months ago, this Mandelic Acid Gelly Masque was one of them. I thought they were gonna send me the hyaluronic acid one and was quite happy that they actually sent me the Mandelic Acid one. Mandelic Acid is an AHA with blackhead clearing properties so it actually works like a BHA too. And the fact that it is oil-soluble makes it suitable for combination and oily skin too. No wonder Mandelic Acid has quickly become one of the favourite ingredients in the beauty industry! I loved my Dr. Wu 18% Mandelic Acid Serum and I was pretty excited to see how this masque will work for my skin!

4 Dec 2017

For those of you who don't know, the same company that owned THE FACE SHOP in Malaysia recently expanded its line and opened up its first multi-brand stores in Malaysia known as Nature Smart. It carried brands like THE FACE SHOP, Beyond, CNP Laboratory, Tomaru, Dear Packer and many more, all under the umbrella company of LG Household & Healthcare in Korea!

Currently they are only available in Kuching but West Malaysian fans can get a hand on these innovative products from THE FACE SHOP e-store as well as Hermo!

In today's review, I'm gonna talk about three products I received from Nature Smart (aka THE FACE SHOP) about 4 weeks ago. They are from a new brand called Tomaru that harnesses essences of natural resources from the purest and most uncivilized lands in Korea:

Polatam mask is a real treat! It carries a faint floral-herbal scent that reminds me of Crabtree & Evelyn stores. The kind of smell you get from natural, hand-made fragrance soaps or body lotion. I can dare say that my 20 minutes with it on is a feast for my skin and soul.

I purchased my Polatam masks from Kurator, a local kbeauty curator that carries many products available on Glow Recipe. Polatam is one of their curation. So far the brand owner only produces sheet mask (and a cream recently) but based on my positive experience with their masks, I'm hoping that they will come out with more skincare products in the near future!

I have been seeing this mask flowing around on social media so I knew I had to get a hand on one. I bought all three flavours from Althea Korea last month, with some given to my mom. The one I am using today is the Vitamin C Ggultamin C Real Jet Mask. I saw a lot of dark spots emerging around the my right cheek so I wanted to get a quick fix which was why I chose the vitamin C flavour.

29 Nov 2017

I always enjoy eye cream with cooling ball applicator. It is cool to have massager attached to your eye cream as it can relax, soothe and depuff at once. That's also why I bought the Methode Swiss Eye Cream many years ago despite its high price tag, which turned out to be a complete gimmick. I had the courage to venture into eye product with roller once again when Laneige launched its new Eye Sleeping Mask several months ago, and here are my thoughts after using the product for a few months now.

Laneige Eye Sleeping Mask was a love at first sight. I spotted it at Laneige Mega Road Show at Midvalley and was deeply attracted by its enticing lavender scent and lightweight texture. It also comes with a roller that feels cool to touch. I just finished using my Belif Eye Mask so I think it is time I got myself another sleeping mask for the eye area.

Turned out, I was less impressed than I should! Read on to find out why below:-

23 Nov 2017

Korean beauty industry has gone a step further into incorporating acupressure into sheet mask. This Mediheal Aqua Chip Circle Point Mask should be one of the firsts, if not the first, to introduce the concept of sheet mask with acupressure points. It is called "chip circle point mask" by Mediheal.

Personally, I am a fan of acupressure message, which is the use of force to stimulate "meridians" in the body. The concept originates from traditional Chinese medical practices and has since generated a lot of interest and discussion in the medical field. The use of acupressure on your face helps to stimulate meridians on your face, clear "blockages" and ensure that your skin appears vitalized and lively. It is the secret to firmer, clearer and brighter looking skin. Clearing away blockages also helps to "detoxify" your skin, making it less prone to inflammation and breakout.

Let's look at my thought on the new Mediheal Aqua Chip Circle Point Mask below!

20 Nov 2017

I always want to try out some SU:M37 products. It is a premium Korean cosmetic brand specializing in fermented skincare, under the umbrella company of LG Household & Health. It is slightly more high-end than Belif but lower than The History of Whoo. The word "SU:M" refers to "breathing" in Korea whereas “37” is the optimal temperature for fermentation. Together, they represent the quality of SU:M37 products which are fermented at the optimal 37°C temperature for maximum results.

My first SU:M37 product is the highly-raved Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick which I was unfortunately NOT impressed. However, this doesn't stop my curiosity about SU:M37. I grabbed their newly released Water-Full Radiant Hydrating Glow Special Gift Set when I saw it available on Ebay. SU:M37 products are quite expensive so I want to try the miniatures out before committing into the full size products.

The SU:M37 Water-Full Radiant Hydrating Glow Special Gift Set I got consisted of the following items:

19 Nov 2017

Hi guys! It's our bi-monthly favourite time! I normally don't do a lot of monthly favourites because I will share my favourites from time-to-time on my Instagram. However, since I have got a lot these recent months I want to talk about them here:

I received these My Beauty Diary Taiwan Tourist Spots Limited Edition Sheet Masks from my friend last year. They were really cute and good, so I paid a buying service to buy me 2 boxes of the masks, which costed me a whopping RM 40 per box. There are 7 masks inside each box. The boxes come in practical drawer design so you could recycle and reuse once you have finished the masks! I really love the packaging but I figure that I gotta throw them away one day so there is no point keeping them. Otherwise, I might grab a few just for the sake of the packaging!

All these masks share the same characteristics of being a thin and silky soft cotton. Despite its thinness, don't underestimate the amount of moisture it can hold. You can easily squeeze a few spoons of essence from the mask, so imagine having all of these force-fed onto your face? Sure your skin will look super plump and chok-chok.

The masks are drenched in clear, runny, and non-viscous essence. They often do not smell like anything, just normal scent of sheet masks.

The collection comes in four different types of masks, representing different tourist spots and respective skin concerns, namely Taipei spring water for moisturizing, Kenting algae for elasticity-improving, Huatung mountain for firming, and finally Sun Moon Lake black tea for soothing. They are retailed for NTD 250, which roughly rounds up RM 35.

18 Nov 2017

You should have heard of Hera Cell Essence if you are following K-beauty vloggers/bloggers. It is often compared to IOPE Bio Essence. I love IOPE Bio Essence and have raved about it in my previous review here. So, I am quite curious to try out this one since I am a kbeauty collector and I just couldn't resist the temptation to try out something different. I bought this from Gmarket long long time ago, and always didn't have the chance to use it. I was busy trying out other things and I didn't want to use many first essences at once to make sure there is no overlapping of performance. So I waited a few months after I finished the IOPE before started using this. Now let's take a look at this highly popular first essence in Korea!

8 Nov 2017

Good morning peeps! It's a wonderful morning and I've been busy taking pictures of my latest Gmarket hauls, which led me to think why don't I just share about my latest Gmarket hauls with you guys then? I have been shopping from Gmarket on numerous occasions, and have posted about my shopping experience early this week, hence I think it's time I talk about my recent hauls from Gmarket.

It's always been a dilemma shopping from Gmarket. On one hand, you get tonnes of free gifts for just one item you bought at below-the-market price. But on the other hand, you are many times prone to custom inspection than other places like Althea, Qoo10, Testerkorea and so on. Not to mention the skyrocketing shipping fee you had to pay buying from Gmarket.

I used to be a crazy fan of Gmarket. I bought tonnes of stuffs from the site, especially during the time when it charged only KRW 5,000 flat shipping rate for all orders in April and May 2016. It was not until when I ran into a bad custom encounter that trimmed my desire to shop from the site anymore.

2 Nov 2017

I bought this from Iqueen long, long time ago but only got to talk about it now. I was struggling a bit with other Lovemore masks, especially the special collection, so is a bit hesitated when it comes to trying another one from Lovemore.

The Lovemore It's Jeju Water Glacial Spring Essence Deep Hydrating Mask is one of the brand's gwiyomi series, which utilizes the hydrating power of jeju springs in Korea. Those who know Innisfree should be familiar with Jeju Island and the wonder of its natural resources. This mask utilizes spring water from Jeju Island that captures all the essence and energy from the beautiful Jeju Island in Korea and delivers it all to your skin.

28 Oct 2017

I got this Illi mask from Koreadepart early last year, but since I'm such a slow user, I only got to use it now. I tried the other Illi mask and wasn't impressed hence I'm hoping that this will change my mind on Illi masks.

23 Oct 2017

I always want to try out one of these A. By Bom masks having watched Meejmuse's video raving about it. The packaging itself is also super attractive and pretty with cute sakura petals and pinkish design! I got mine from 11street at a local reseller but you are advised to go for trustable seller if you want to buy the entire box. The box comes with a security code where you can check the authenticity of the product. This product is highly raved in the beauty community so there are occasions of fakes flying around so you must be careful when you get one.

The Ultra Floral Leaf Mask is a 2-step mask that comes with sakura petal shaped patches and an actual sheet mask. This pink version is intended for brightening and wrinkle care purposes. There is one green version for hydration and soothing effects.

16 Oct 2017

I happened to drop by Kurator's first physical store at Isetan KLCC when I was looking for an eye cream. I finished my Belif Moisturizing and Firming Eye Cream and was looking for an alternative. And that's how I bumped into this Blossom Jeju Pink Camellia Soombi Blooming Flower Eye Cream. This was not my first time hearing about Blossom Jeju, since Glow Recipe talked and raved about it many times in their videos. But this was the first step I swatched the product on my hands and oh my it captured my heart immediately, just in that one swatch.

In this part 2 review, I'm gonna share my overall impression on the brand as a whole, and my final thoughts using 26 of their products (some are samples) after 1.5 years now.

If you are new to Kiehl's, it is basically a pharmacy-turned-cosmetic brand. They started off selling fragrance, inventing skincare for men, and slowly evolved to producing pharmaceutical skincare the "Dermatologist Solutions". You can find out more about the history of Kiehl's here. The brand pledges to use only naturally-derived ingredients to maintain skin health. It only provides a money back guarantee 30 days from purchasing if you are not satisfied with their products. In addition, they also do their corporate social responsibility by engaging in a lot of charity works and recycling campaigns. It seems that they are more into building their own heritage than just commercialization.

I started using Kiehl's products back in January 2016, where I purchased the Clearly Corrective Clarity Activation Toner and claimed several samples of its Dark Spot Solution. I did notice an encouraging reduction in my freckles. I ventured into the masque, cream, and subsequently essence several months later. Kiehl's gave me a lot of samples since I spent over RM 3K on the store. Not just for myself, but for my family and friends. That's how I managed to try out so many of their products.

Out of all those things I tried, only a few made an impression on me. Its clearly corrective line is awesome. Then its men's oil eliminator line as well as the blue-bottle Oil-Free Gel Cream are all great too. I also love the Iris Essence although that one wasn't as impressive as other first essences I've tried. I also love their calendula and mightnight recovery line too.

I think most Kiehl's products are not considered cheap. Among which, its eye creams are definitely overpriced. A small 15ml costs around RM 150-250, which is really pricey given the volume of product you get. Its serum is expensive too I would say. So far I think the only thing I would repurchase would be the Dark Spot Solution, Iris Essence and Calendula Toner.

Kiehl's has the reputation of being one of the longest-establishing cosmetic brands to-date. A lot of Taiwan personality and Western celebrities swear by their products, which include beauty guru Nu Er and actress Barbie Hsu. I have always wanted to try one of Kiehl's products but is always hesitated due to its higher price tag. I guess Malaysian consumers have relatively weaker purchasing power if compared to other countries so imported goods especially those from developed countries like US or UK can be quite pricey.

My first Kiehl's encounter actually comes quite unexpected. I just happened to pass by Midvalley outlet one day and thought of stepping inside to experience some of Kiehl's products. I met a really nice consultant Kiki who gave me very useful skincare tips and also loads of Kiehl's samples. I think this good service is uniquely Midvalley. I also went to other outlets but some staffs at other Kiehl's outlet was kinda rude to me so I will always go back to Midvalley whenever I need any skincare advise or samples.

If you follow my Instagram, you'll notice that I share a lot of my Kiehl's encounters. I talked about how I sent some of Kiehl's samples to my aunt via mailing service. I also brought my mom and my bf into the brand. My mom was a loyal user of Belif products, but she did purchase some Kiehl's products out of curiosity. My bf is more committed, having purchased a full set of skincare from the brand after trying out the samples and finding them really effective. As for me, my target has always been the Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution, which I have reviewed about previously. Of course I also tried out other Kiehl's products since I am a skincare junkee, which I will review soon.

I am writing this special review to put all my skincare items on a fair play ground. Sometimes it is "unfair" to expect a product that costs only a little to deliver a tonne. And it is also "fair" to expect something expensive to give great results. So when I do yearly "beauty awards", I am always stuck between "expensive-but-fantastic products" and "really-cheap-but-very-great" products. So I want to write this special review to share with you guys some of the awesome products that you can find at cheap cheap prices. This will also be helpful of some of the budget-conscious students and working adults who want to enjoy a beauty complexion without breaking their banks! I hope you find this helpful and let's begin with our review!

15 Oct 2017

I received the Blossom Jeju White Camellia Soombi Mask from my first Kurator haul. I was one of the first 50 (I think) to shop from them hence is entitled to a piece of free mask. The mask itself is actually quite pricey at around RM 20 each since a box retails for RM 99 at Kurator. If I am not mistaken, Kurator is the sole distributor of Blossom Jeju in Malaysia and you can hardly find them elsewhere in the country, not even online. Another portal where you can find Blossom Jeju would be Glow Recipe but shipping would be a big issue if you buy from Glow so I always get my Blossom Jeju goodies from Kurator.

The White Camellia Soombi Mask comes in 2 steps:

Step 1 - 100% pure camellia oil

Step 2 - sheet mask

The mask looks really pretty like a flower petal. Blossom Jeju has short shelf life so their products expire within a year or so from manufacturing so do make sure to use yours as soon as you receive it!

12 Oct 2017

Hi guys I am back again with another skincare review! This time it is the Goodal Waterest Lasting Water Oil I got from Gmarket last year. I am a shopaholic who tends to shop faster than I finish things up. So I often accumulate a lot of stash in my wardrobe whenever there is big sales going on. Gmarket was running this $5 shipping discount in April 2016 and I couldn't resist the temptation to buy a lot from them. I accumulated so much stash that I only get to use this Goodal Oil some time in May this year. Anyway, enough with the intro, let's go straight to the product.

10 Oct 2017

I own many toners, but none of them really provide a nice cushiony effect that is gentle and moisturizing at the same time. It is not until I met this Pyunkang Yul Essence Toner that changes my mind on toners. My previous toners are mostly either very refreshing like Kose or Dear by Enprani or nourishing like Whamisa. The closest to this would be Hada Labo Hydrating Lotion that is a bit sticky. If I were to compare, Pyunkang Yul Essence Toner feels like the light version of Hada Labo Hydrating Lotion. It is very gentle and moisturizing but not sticky at all. It provides a nice slip that can moisturize, balance and prep your skin for next skincare step without being tacky or overwhelming.

Let's take a look at this highly-raved product among the beauty community recently!

I am a packaging person when it comes to skincare. Often time I buy a product because it looks too cute to be resisted. And this sometimes ends in disappointment. It is not until I met Cosrx that I think skincare products can be non-cute and non-fancy but effective. And that's not a bad thing actually because when a brand spends less on fancy packaging it will eventually reflect back on the price.

Cosrx is a brand that I will recommend others to use when they want something that are working yet non-expensive. They are a lot cheaper than normal Korean brands out there, sometimes as cheap as 1/2 the price you normally pay for normal Korean skincare items. They are cheaper than many Innisfree counterparts, without compromising on the quality.

Just like The Ordinary and Pyunkang Yul, Cosrx is not a brand that is a love at first sight for me. I fancy fancier products like Belif, Innisfree, Laneige and what not so Cosrx seems too ordinary to be noticed. It is not until many of my Instagram friends start sharing it that I finally pay more attention to the brand.

My first Cosrx if I am not mistaken is the BHA and AHA. Then slowly I collect all their collection one-by-one. I got most of my Cosrx products from Sweet Corea and Koreadepart. Hermo hasn't started to carry them when I was really into the brand. But now, a lot of places carry Cosrx, even Watson's and Wako Beauty.

What is Cosrx about?

If you are new to Cosrx, it is a Korean cosmetic brand that focuses on using the minimum amount of quality ingredients to achieve maximum skincare goal. They have many lines for different skin types, but their most popular ones are those for anti-acne, skin repairing, and exfoliating purposes.

Cosrx starts off small so they have friendly customer service team to answer all your questions. All you have to do is to send them email or ask them on their official Instagram page. They will always try their best to give you the best feedback. But even if you don't, you can get most of your answers from the bloggers, youtubers and Instagrammers who share about those products anyway.

That's all for the Cosrx brand overview, lets head right to 17 Cosrx products I have personally tested and loved/loathed:

9 Oct 2017

I received emails from students asking about skincare items that might be suitable for them. I talked about how Laneige Fresh Calming line will work great for those with combination, dehydrated and sensitive skin in my previous review. In this review, I am gonna bring you guys to this newly launched brand Half Moon Eyes with its cute fruity goodness that target teens and young adults with drier skin!

The Half Moon Eyes collection is created from botanical and fruit extracts packed with antioxidants and pores tightening benefits. Among which, its cleansing pack made of dragon fruit extract is said to contain all the necessary nutrients to give you a pinkish glow!

Available at Althea Korea, Half Moon Eyes (HME) currently comes in three items:

Morning is the time when you have to get started as soon as you wake up from the bed. For night owl like myself, waking up itself is a painful thing in the morning. Often time I don't have time to get dressed or put on layers of products. I just have to rush off the door quick while at the same time looking fully awaken.

So morning routine is very important for me. Products I choose are those that won't waste my time in front of the dressing table slowly waiting for them to absorb. They are also lighter in consistency and focuses more on hydration.

Let's move over to the products I used for my morning routine one by one:-